Consumption in the cat is not an uncommon malady, and generally results through feeding upon the infected viscera of fowls, etc., possibly in some cases through infected milk, especially in the case of kittens.

It is a specific disease, due to the entry of the bacilli of tuberculosis into the system, the germs being of microscopic size. A consumptive cat may become a source of infection to human beings, especially children: hence the advisability of early destruction. The absorbent glands are early implicated in tuberculosis, and this is the reason why the glands along the intestines are often affected. The lungs may be the seat of the disease, much depending upon the paths of infection.

The leading symptom is a gradual wasting away. It is not economical to attempt treatment.